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[rubik's dude]

Final Fantasy XI 20th Anniversary Livestream Will be Over 5 Hours Long

Square Enix announced that a Final Fantasy XI 20th anniversary livestream will be held. It will be over 5 hours long.

www.siliconera.com

Exciting stuff. They've been extremely tight-lipped about what they have planned for the game's 20th anniversary. Even May's patch notes didn't reveal anything:

Announcing the May Version Update

Good day, adventurers! Matsui here with the latest info on FFXI. I hope you’ve all gotten a chance to try your hand at the newly revamped A.M.A.N. Trove. The reception has been wonderful, and it reminds me that visual and audio effects can often times be just as important as rewards when it...

forum.square-enix.com

"As you are likely aware, FINAL FANTASY XI will be celebrating twenty years of service on May 16. I’ve got a special letter all lined up for the occasion, so I’ll leave my official Vana’versary greetings until then, but I wanted to make sure to tell you all about the May version update."

In addition, there's also the FFXIV x FFXI crossover event planned for May:

Final Fantasy XI Collaboration Event to Return to Final Fantasy XIV

The Final Fantasy XI "The Maiden's Rhapsody" collaboration event will return in Final Fantasy XIV for a limited time.

www.siliconera.com

Along with the Granblue x FFXI crossover event in May as well:

Granblue Fantasy FFXI Crossover Event Announced

www.siliconera.com

And while not FFXI-exclusive, there's also the UNIQLO x Final Fantasy collaboration event for the 35th anniversary happening in May, which FFXI is a part of:

https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/spl/ut-graphic-tees/final-fantasy

Edit - Link to the stream:

Rundown of what was in the livestream: https://www.ffxiah.com/forum/topic/56667/may-8th-2022-livestream-thread#3623548

 

[Pejo]

20 years, damn. I was severely addicted to FFXI at one point in time, what a fantastic game and experience it once was.

I don't know what they could announce at this point that would "wow" me, but if they took that mobile port that Nexon was working on (and cancelled) and gave it to another dev or whatever, I'd play again. FFXI could be an excellent mobile MMO given its slower pace and menu/macro driven combat. The only downside is that it's a bad game to pick up and play for only a few minutes. You can't usually even get where you're headed in less than 10 mins, which is sorta anti-mobile game methodology.

Still, a visual update would be great, and if they finally added a bunch of conveniences from Windower, it's beyond time for that sort of thing.

I'm guessing they announce a "classic" server too. Not sure if I would try it or not.

 

[March Climber]

It's crazy that, as far as I know, FFXI and Shin Megami Tensei Online were the only two big franchise MMOs that attempted a style close to turn based combat. I know it won't happen but a newer MMO franchise should give it a shot and maybe improve upon the formula.

Happy 20th regardless. I hope to see the game make it to 25 and 30.

 

[rubik's dude]

I'm guessing they announce a "classic" server too. Not sure if I would try it or not.

Unfortunately, they debunked the possibility of a classic server awhile ago:

Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts

gamerescape.com

Gamer Escape: With the launch of World of Warcraft Classic, there has been talk of having classic servers for other games. We’re curious about your thoughts on having a classic server for FINAL FANTASY XI where maybe the level cap is at 75?
Akihiko Matsui: Truth be told, we have no snapshot data of the level 75 era, which would make it very difficult to replicate things as they were back then on this type of server.
Yoji Fujito: As things stand today, we are unable to meet these requests, simply from a version management perspective. If the goal was simply to limit level growth to level 75, that is something that could be done in theory, but we would be unable to provide any changes on top of merely adjusting the level cap and do not have the ability to provide any support for it with our current bandwidth.
Furthermore, it goes against our company philosophy to just toss something out there and say “Here, have fun!” without giving it the due care that our fans would rightfully expect, so a level 75 server it isn’t in the cards at present

 

[Pejo]

Unfortunately, they debunked the possibility of a classic server awhile ago:

Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts

gamerescape.com

Gamer Escape: With the launch of World of Warcraft Classic, there has been talk of having classic servers for other games. We’re curious about your thoughts on having a classic server for FINAL FANTASY XI where maybe the level cap is at 75?
Akihiko Matsui: Truth be told, we have no snapshot data of the level 75 era, which would make it very difficult to replicate things as they were back then on this type of server.
Yoji Fujito: As things stand today, we are unable to meet these requests, simply from a version management perspective. If the goal was simply to limit level growth to level 75, that is something that could be done in theory, but we would be unable to provide any changes on top of merely adjusting the level cap and do not have the ability to provide any support for it with our current bandwidth.
Furthermore, it goes against our company philosophy to just toss something out there and say “Here, have fun!” without giving it the due care that our fans would rightfully expect, so a level 75 server it isn’t in the cards at present

Man that Q&A is so sad. S-E seems one of the worst big devs for backing up and cataloging their own games. Didn't they lose the original source code for FFIX too, which is what kept them from re-releasing it for so long?

I'm not saying "get the files from a private server", but....

Anyways, time to break out this thing again.

 

[GymWolf]

The first and last mmorpg game i ever played.

 

[Captain Toad]

Any new players might be confused about the story constantly talking about the war that happened 20 years ago, wondering if OG players were actually there.

I was hopelessly addicted to this game for 6 or 7 years. I doubt we will never get another MMO like (how it was in its prime) FFXI.

 

[Javthusiast]

Respect for them to still have FFXI running, thought by now they would just completely shut it down for FF14 and even fans just stop playing it.

 

[rubik's dude]

Man that Q&A is so sad. S-E seems one of the worst big devs for backing up and cataloging their own games. Didn't they lose the original source code for FFIX too, which is what kept them from re-releasing it for so long?

I'm not saying "get the files from a private server", but....

Anyways, time to break out this thing again.

Yeah, it ended up being a huge issue for a lot of the older FF titles that they wanted to remaster:

Why isn't there a PS4, Xbox and Switch port of Final Fantasy 8? Preservation may be the answer

If there's one thing that's true about video game fandom, it's that they're never, ever entirely satisfied. Final Fanta…

www.vg247.com

Seems like they haven't learned from their mistakes. Also, that video is a total classic!

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Ceallach]

Ah yes, 20 years of me saying I should try out FFXI lol

 

[Ma-Yuan]

I can still feel my addiction to it. Stopped playing 11 years ago had 500 plus real life days on my counter was a wild ride incredible especially the human drama that comes with it.

 

[Pejo]

It's a shame that they did the item level thing. I think the eventual cap increase from 75-> was inevitible, and it actually created some cool main/subjob combos that you wouldn't have previously considered, but the ilevel equipment meant that one of the biggest benefits to players in the game (lateral gear progression) was destroyed in one move. Not that some of the best pieces weren't still viable to a degree, but it just made all that effort I spent getting stuff like Scorp Harness +1 and Hauby +1 and all that type of stuff feel worthless. It's what ultimately drove me to quit for good after coming back and trying to get back into the game several times.

Trusts are fantastic, however. I'm kinda glad we didn't have them back in the day, because it forced social interaction and making friends and helping each other. But to be able to go experience all of that content today by yourself, what a great system.

 

[Jigsaah]

Please revive the FFXI Remake. PLEEEEEEEEEASE!

I don't care if it's mobile, I just want FFXI with modern graphics.

Also bring it back to lvl 75. Twas the golden age.

 

[rubik's dude]

Ah yes, 20 years of me saying I should try out FFXI lol

If it helps at all, you can solo through all of the storylines in the game now. You only need groups for the optional endgame content, but with trusts (NPC party members) the core of the game can be played entirely solo.

 

[Ceallach]

Hm.....I might actually play it then lol

 

[Javthusiast]

So now you're into rats?

Spoiler

A. Gadget is a queen bro. Everyone had a crush on her back in the day watching Rescue Rangers. Don't lie to yourself, explore your feelings.

B. Why the fuck is she absent in the trailers for the new movie?

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Javthusiast]

There's a movie?

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Boss Mog]

Also bring it back to lvl 75. Twas the golden age.

That's just nostalgia talking. As somebody who has played the game on and off for over 15 years, the game in and of itself has never been better than it is now, but what's missing is the community from the 75 era. That's what made the 75 era great, the game was really brutal back then and and didn't respect your time.

 

[Captain Toad]

That's just nostalgia talking. As somebody who has played the game on and off for over 15 years, the game in and of itself has never been better than it is now, but what's missing is the community from the 75 era. That's what made the 75 era great, the game was really brutal back then and and didn't respect your time.

I disagree. Having to rely on people to do anything worthwhile was what made FFXI so special. I actually really loved just the long, laid-back xp parties.

There's a place for MMOs where you can solo everything, but it's nowhere as meaningful as FFXI was back in the prime.

 

[Punished Miku]

I checked out after finishing my Salvage armor set. WHM.

I live every day since then knowing that I'm an addict who can never touch another MMO.

 

[Mr.ODST]

FFXI was one of the best experiences ever in the OG days where it would take 30 mins and 5 party members to defeat a lizard but you had to constantly be aware of your surroundings, great environments and music and the game was brutal as Fuck

I Whats come back every year to level a new job up

 

[Captain Toad]

I checked out after finishing my Salvage armor set. WHM.

I live every day since then knowing that I'm an addict who can never touch another MMO.

I think if you played FFXIV, you would realize it's nothing the same and not addictive like XI.

I was super addicted. I had all jobs to 75 back when it was rare for someone to have more than a single 75. I also was pretty early in getting a relic weapon. My playtime over 6 or 7 years was absurd.

FFXIV, for better or worse, is not like XI. It feels more like a large single-player JRPG with an obvious end point. To be fair, each expansion also feels like a full-length sequel, but each is easy to walk away from once you finish it and roll credits.

 

[Boss Mog]

I disagree. Having to rely on people to do anything worthwhile was what made FFXI so special. I actually really loved just the long, laid-back xp parties.

There's a place for MMOs where you can solo everything, but it's nowhere as meaningful as FFXI was back in the prime.

Today's FFXI is definitely not about soloing everything, you clearly don't play otherwise you would know that you can't solo most current endgame content that matters. You still need people. The gameplay and the endgame events are just MUCH better now than they were back then and the QoL updates SE has added over the years make playing the game a lot more enjoyable as well. The only thing missing is the large community it had back in the 75 era. There's still plenty of people but at this point, the vast majority of those still playing are in tight knit groups or multibox, there's not that many new players and if some do show up it's a bit harder for them to get help and guidance then it used to be.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Ahhh, FFXI. Where I'd spend an hour at a desert outpost with my character tagged as wanting to joina party," finally get into a part, wait 30 more minutes to get enough people to go leveling with, then get my asshole turned inside out by a lizard and spend the next ten minutes shouting for a rez.

Good times.

 

[Captain Toad]

Today's FFXI is definitely not about soloing everything, you clearly don't play otherwise you would know that you can't solo most current endgame content

I'm not talking about endgame-only. XP parties were the best part of XI. You soloed to around level 10, then it was a team effort the rest of the way.

You needed help for anything and everything, xp, relic gear, story missions, etc. It was true PvE and it felt more like Server vs Environment.

People were so friendly and helpful because reputation was important to get anything done. Players knew each other and who is helpful and who will bail once they get what they needed.

 

[Buggy Loop]

My last MMO addiction. Nothing came close since then imo or maybe I moved on to something else in life but, this game has left such an impression in my mind that every spring, for at least 10 years, the game pops in my mind and I’m thinking of restarting.. then I remember the clusterfuck of SE logins and the thought quickly evaporates

The atmosphere of the game, the soundtrack, pure bliss.

 

[Boss Mog]

I'm not talking about endgame-only. XP parties were the best part of XI. You soloed to around level 10, then it was a team effort the rest of the way.

You needed help for anything and everything, xp, relic gear, story missions, etc. It was true PvE and it felt more like Server vs Environment.

People were so friendly and helpful because reputation was important to get anything done. Players knew each other and who is helpful and who will bail once they get what they needed.

XP parties sucked for the most part. You spent hours looking for party if you weren't leveling a popular job and when you finally got one it would disband shortly after you got there. You often had douchebags in your party or people that didn't know how to play their job. You spent hours fighting the same mobs over and over to gain a couple of levels if that. Sure there were some fun XP parties but i think nostalgia is blinding you to the reality of how things were; the most exciting thing about XP parties was the dopamine hit you'd get when you finally leveled up. It's kind of sad that with all the great story missions and quests your fondest memories are of grinding XP.

 

[Captain Toad]

XP parties sucked for the most part. You spent hours looking for party if you weren't leveling a popular job and when you finally got one it would disband shortly after you got there. You often had douchebags in your party or people that didn't know how to play their job. You spent hours fighting the same mobs over and over to gain a couple of levels if that. Sure there were some fun XP parties but i think nostalgia is blinding you to the reality of how things were; the most exciting thing about XP parties was the dopamine hit you'd get when you finally leveled up. It's kind of sad that with all the great story missions and quests your fondest memories are of grinding XP.

You can keep your modern wannabe FFXIV, FFXI. I'll remember it back when it was good.

 

[Boss Mog]

You can keep your modern wannabe FFXIV, FFXI. I'll remember it back when it was good.

"modern" FFXI is nothing like FFXIV so I don't even know what you're talking about.

 

[Boss Man]

Was completely addicted to this game and I’m not even mad about it. The game’s world just felt so coherent and real. Taking the airship to the jungles and looking down on the world felt incredible - and waiting for the ship to arrive just made it more immersive. This game had weight.

FFXI also kind of introduced me to programming with Macros which may have contributed to my software engineering career path.

My favorite game of all time. I doubt anything similar will ever be made again.

 

[OsirisBlack]

I can still feel my addiction to it. Stopped playing 11 years ago had 500 plus real life days on my counter was a wild ride incredible especially the human drama that comes with it.

FFXI is a sad thought for me I ran one of the larger LS on my server and made a lot of in-game and real-life friends. Many of which have since passed, twenty years is a long time. I won't tell you how many real-life days I have on that game out of embarrassment but I've probably got your total playtime on my Bazar mule. On of my Favorite memories which doesn't even exist in current MMOs was sitting at a mob spawn site at 4 am with my LS to take Khimera or Lord of Onzozo from another LS. Or even having gear that actually felt exclusive. I remember having Excalibur and Aegis shield probably first on the server and not seeing another one for months. They really don't make games like this anymore.

 

[rubik's dude]

FFXI also kind of introduced me to programming with Macros which may have contributed to my software engineering career path.

The funny thing is that a lot of the current players are programmers/developers in real life, playing the game while they work from home. Almost everyone in my linkshell, and a lot of the times when I group up with other people, they'll randomly go afk for Teams calls/meetings.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Y’all ready for that remake announcement?

 

[Pejo]

Y’all ready for that remake announcement?

I think standalone offline version is more likely than a full remake.

 

[rodrigolfp]

The first and last mmorpg game i ever played.

That bad?

 

[Captain Toad]

The funny thing is that a lot of the current players are programmers/developers in real life, playing the game while they work from home. Almost everyone in my linkshell, and a lot of the times when I group up with other people, they'll randomly go afk for Teams calls/meetings.

Weird. I was also a software engineer and addicted to FFXI. Must be something in the computer science water.

 

[GymWolf]

That bad?

No it was a good experience overall but too much time consuming and not really a fan of the combat in these games.

 

[Pejo]

No it was a good experience overall but too much time consuming and not really a fan of the combat in these games.

The big advantage of the combat (IMO) was that it worked exceptionally well to play WHILE chatting or managing inventory or doing any number of the 100s of things you could do. It made the game much more social because outside of the sweatiest bosses and NMs, you could just casually do your job, do it well, and still have time to crack jokes and send tells to your friends. That's the big piece that a lot of modern MMOs lost. No time for communication means that you're only chatting with someone when you have nothing going on, which means before you get started on something or after you've finished it. in FFXIV for instance you're always playing simon says and 'floor is lava' so you don't have time to joke to your friends about getting killed by something stupid, or what you're going to meet up and do in an hour in the game.

To me, that's why XP parties were so damn comfy. You meet some strangers, chat it up, get xp, and potentially make friends in the game to do future content with. It was built into the DNA of the game.

 

[Midnight Bliss]

Honestly the only things which I could see ever managing to stir something up would be. Announcing a new mmo which uses an updated version of the FFXI world but expanded and made modern but with a lot of effort to maintain the feel and aesthetic

Or similarly an offline version of it remade into a single player story but redesigning the world so it fits for being offline

Or a 2d final fantasy tactics type game using vanadiel

 

[SkylineRKR]

A friend of mine used to play this on fucking PS2, nearly 20 years ago. Crazy.

 

[LordCBH]

God I spent so much time in FF11 over the years. I remember the grind to get relic weapons in…what…the second expansion?

 

[Pejo]

God I spent so much time in FF11 over the years. I remember the grind to get relic weapons in…what…the second expansion?

Unless you were a LS leader, you probably didn't even think of doing relics until much later on in the game's life cycle. They were prohibitively expensive and unless you had a whole group of ~18 people willing to let you use all of the drops to get yours (to better your team), it was a pipe dream for 99% of players at release. But god damn the "wow" factor when you spotted an Aegis equipped Paladin walking through Jeuno. That shit had weight.

 

[Meicyn]

XP parties sucked for the most part. You spent hours looking for party if you weren't leveling a popular job and when you finally got one it would disband shortly after you got there. You often had douchebags in your party or people that didn't know how to play their job. You spent hours fighting the same mobs over and over to gain a couple of levels if that. Sure there were some fun XP parties but i think nostalgia is blinding you to the reality of how things were; the most exciting thing about XP parties was the dopamine hit you'd get when you finally leveled up. It's kind of sad that with all the great story missions and quests your fondest memories are of grinding XP.

This is one of those rare moments where we are in full agreement.

People reminisce about FFXI but there’s a reason everyone left. I had my fun with it back in the day, but the experience was varied. Utsusemi tanking with ninja? I flew through those levels stupid fast. Monk? No one wanted you in a party until late game leveling for bones parties. But you had to get lucky to be invited because all anyone would ever fight were crabs. There were many a night spent LFG and accomplishing absolutely nothing and I do not miss any of that.

I made a fortune selling food for leveling with my capped cooking, so thankfully I didn’t have to farm for gil like most players. I watched linkshell after linkshell fall apart due to drama over drops in sky. Dynamis was conceptually neat, but it was a laggy shitfest and a general nightmare trying to get 64 players in one spot on time.

I relived my FFXI experiences in FFXIV when Eureka debuted and most folks hated it. Grinded out levels in zones before they patched out the difficulty. I didn’t mind it since I had dealt with worse in my XI days but it just reaffirmed that it’s outdated design.

I like challenge in games like Elden Ring where the player is responsible for the outcomes. In games like FFXI back in the “golden era”, you could literally be stuck LFG and accomplish absolutely nothing in the span of two hours, sometimes more. That to me isn’t difficulty, that’s just wasting a player’s time.

 

[Panajev2001a]

If they made a PS4/PS5 version with updated graphics I would sub asap… I dunno, I just liked that world a lot (perhaps more than FF XIV). I also agree that the pace of modern MMO’s does not make time for being social. People want multi player over single player but then scarcely make time for interaction :/.

 

[Rykan]

If they made a PS4/PS5 version with updated graphics I would sub asap… I dunno, I just liked that world a lot (perhaps more than FF XIV). I also agree that the pace of modern MMO’s does not make time for being social. People want multi player over single player but then scarcely make time for interaction :/.

Because XIV is basically the fastfood restaurant of MMORPGs. Simply follow your MSQ to levelcap. No need to interact with other players outside of instances. No need to talk to anyone else besides your FC. Fast travel anywhere. Duty finders for every activity.

FFXI felt much more like a world because the game forced you to interact with it. In FFXIV, the world is just pretty set dressing.

 

[rubik's dude]

I made a fortune selling food for leveling with my capped cooking, so thankfully I didn’t have to farm for gil like most players. I watched linkshell after linkshell fall apart due to drama over drops in sky. Dynamis was conceptually neat, but it was a laggy shitfest and a general nightmare trying to get 64 players in one spot on time.

The lag hasn't gotten any better, unfortunately. In fact, it's gotten worse due to the game's limitations. The newest and most relevant endgame content right now is Odyssey, and it's designed for six players. Even though it's only for six players, the lag is somewhere around a 2-3+ seconds on all actions while in the content. I can't imagine them designing alliance content at this point that would even be playable.

Also, you made a good point about coordinating 64 players. As difficult as it was back then, it would be nearly impossible now. The majority of the playerbase are older players with families and full-time jobs.

 

[cash_longfellow]

I think standalone offline version is more likely than a full remake.

I accidentally though the thread was about IX, whoops….but now that I think about it, I would take what you are talking about as well lol